Anniversary homily: God told Abram, Father of Faith: “Arise!” “Look out!” “Be hopeful!” God called Abraham at retirement age as if he were a young man: "Get up, go, look, and hope!" The message he gave Abraham then he give to us now: be on the way, look to the horizon, and hope. Some say we're the Church's "gerontocracy," but we're grandfathers, not tired old fools. Our grandchildren look to us; we must share with them what life is about. We're not closed off in melancholy but open to give this gift of meaning. Our "Arise! Look outward! Hope!" imperative is called ‘dreaming.’ We're called to dream and pass on our dream; today's youth need it, that they might take from it power to prophesy and carry on their work.

To Ecumenical Patriarchate: Peter and Paul were courageous, farsighted pastors; both bore witness to God's merciful love and sacrificed themselves for love of the Lord. They encourage us to press forward towards full communion. In the first millennium, Christians of East and West shared the same Eucharistic table and the same truths of faith but with a variety of theological, spiritual, and canonical traditions. That inspires our efforts to restore full communion, not bland uniformity. My recent meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew highlighted our common approach to the challenges facing the Church and world. We have a foretaste of communion in our fraternal encounter, shared prayer, and common service to the Gospel.

Recall Jesus’ prayer for unity. We trust God to answer it, but we must also be docile and obedient to his will. Peter, Paul, and Andrew, ask the Lord to make us instruments of unity and peace.

Gn 13:2, 5-18Abram was rich in livestock, silver, and gold. Lot also had flocks, herds, and tents, so the land couldn't support them both. Abram told Lot, “Let there be no strife between us or between our herdsmen. Please separate from me; go the way you want, and I'll go the other.” Lot chose the Jordan Plain, seeing how well watered it was, and they separated; Abram stayed in Canaan,while Lot pitched his tents near Sodom. Sodom's inhabitants were wicked. The Lord told Abram, “Look around; I'll give you and your descendants all the land you see. I'll make your descendants too numerous to count.” Abram settled at Hebron and built an altar to the Lord there.

Ps 15:2-4ab, 5"He who does justice will live in the presence of the Lord." Those who walk blamelessly, think the truth, honor those who fear God, and don't slander, harm, take up reproach, lend at usury, or accept bribes will never be disturbed.

Mt 7:6, 12-14“Don't give what's holy to dogs, or your pearls to swine, lest they trample them then tear you to pieces. Do to others what you'd have them do to you. Enter through the narrow gate; many take the wide gate to destruction, but few find the narrow gate to life.”

Reflect

Creighton: Focus on the Lord's words to Abram, "Look around; to you I will give it," and the psalmist's promise, "You who do justice will live in Lord's presence."

One Bread, One Body: "Gate, Way, Truth, Life": There are two gates in life: narrow and wide. Many choose the wide gate because it's easy, but you'd think we'd choose based on what's behind it. Do you go on a road because it's wide or because it leads to your destination? Jesus is the Gate, Way, Truth, and Life; he alone can reveal where the roads go. Whoever enters through him will be safe, but those who make their own way will destroy themselves....

Passionist: I want to be treated with kindness, respect, justice, love, forgiveness, attention.... It's not easy to treat people this way; we have to learn to focus in an out-of-focus world....

DailyScripture.net: "Don't throw your pearls before swine": Pearls were of great value, worn as jewels to make one appear more beautiful. Holiness, likewise, is a jewel that radiates the beauty of God's truth and goodness through how we think, speak, act, and treat others. The Talmud calls something that appears incongruous an "ear ring in a swine's snout"; Jesus' "pearls before swine" and "not giving dogs what is holy" expressions are similar. Swine were considered unclean, and wild dogs were considered unfit for close contact. Jesus’ concern is with keeping the faith and way of life God entrusted to us. Before Communion the early church proclaimed: Holy things to the holy, and the Didache stated, "Only the baptized may eat or drink of your Eucharist; the Lord has said, 'Don't give what's holy to dogs.'"

Jesus summed up Old Testament law and prophets with the golden rule and raised it to a new level. God's law of love requires more than not hurting others but rather seeking others' good and giving our best for them. God's love fuels our love for others. If we empty ourselves of what's unkind, unloving, and unforgiving, we'll have room for kindness, goodness, mercy, and charity. May we love others and treat them like we want God to treat us. Holy Spirit, transform my life with the fire of God's love.

Jesus reinforced his lesson about choosing the way to peace with God with the illustration of a narrow gate opening to a life of security and happiness. Psalms begins with an image of one who has chosen to follow the way of those obedient to God's word, not those who act contrary to it. Our choices affect our lives. Do my choices move me towards loving and following God? "Let me love you, Lord, and see myself as I am, a pilgrim, a Christian called to respect and love all I touch.... Help me conquer anger with gentleness, greed by generosity, apathy by fervor. Help me forget myself and reach out." (Clement XI)